Program

Program Scope

The Music/Recording Industry program is designed for those who want to learn more about the music business and recording industry through a structured program of study. Musicians, producers, engineers, lawyers, agents, promoters, managers and entertainment writers can all benefit from MRI courses. The program integrates technical skills in recording, business and legal aspects, along with production elements, to provide foundations in the music business and the audio engineering field.

Faculty:

Program faculty are selected for their expertise in the technical or business aspects of the music/recording industry and for their outstanding teaching ability.

Career Outlook

The Music/Recording Industry Certificate is designed both for the student who wants an overall basic education in the business of music/recording and for the professional who is seeking to broaden an area of expertise. Course work in the program may be applied toward the certificate or individual classes may be taken to learn or update skills. Students may choose to pursue a technical audio engineering or a business emphasis or apply the academic credit earned in this program towards a degree in related subject areas. Job categories include artist management, professional songwriter, record producer, audio engineer, music publicist, music journalist, talent producer, agent, record promotion, record distribution, studio manager, music publishing, concert production and booking, legal, and touring.

Certificate in Music/Recording Industry (MRI)

Admission to Program

To be admitted to the certificate program, students should have completed 56 units of academic credit or have sufficient experience to demonstrate they can perform upper division work. Students who do not have 56 units may be accepted on probation and are encouraged to apply. Students may enroll in up to nine units before applying to a certificate program.

Writing Skills

The certificate program's course content requires good writing skills. Certificate students are asked to demonstrate their writing ability soon after admission to the certificate program to satisfy the university literacy requirement. Those who do not have the necessary writing skills are referred to a course offered regularly through the continuing education program: ENG 414, Elements of Writing.

The certificate program requires completion of 24 semester units. Nine units must be
taken from a core of courses shown below, then twelve units chosen from your chosen emphasis (Audio Engineering or Music Business) and the remaining three may be chosen from the following list of elective courses.

For complete course descriptions, contact the program director.

Core Requirements

Course

Title

MRI 310

Beginning Music Recording Workshop

MRI 350

History of the Popular Music Industry

MRI 360

Legal Aspects of the Music/Recording Industry

Total for Core: 9 units

Emphasis

Choose Audio Engineering or Music Business (12 units)

Audio Engineering Emphasis

Course

Title

MRI 315

Intermediate Music Recording Workshop

MRI 316

Pro Tools 101 (1)

MRI 320

Music Mixing

MRI 380

Field Study in Music Recording Industry (internship course) (2-3)

MRI 430

Advanced Audio Production I (Fantasy Studios)

Music Business Emphasis

Course

Title

MRI 334

Popular Music Marketing

MRI 340

Music Artist Management

MRI 355

Music Industry Career Options (2)

MRI 362

Music Publishing

MRI 380

Field Study in Music Recording Industry (internship course) (1-3)

Elective Courses

Course

Title

MRI 313

Digital DJ: Beats and Loops (1)

MRI 317

Reason: Digital Audio Software (2)

MRI 318

Apple Logic Pro 101 (2)

MRI 327

The Role of the Record Producer (2)

MRI 329

Behind the Stage (2)

MRI 330

Music Business Publicity

MRI 333

Independent Radio Promotion

MRI 336

The Art and Business of Songwriting (2)

MRI 338

Studio Training Workshop: Vocalists (2)

MRI 341

Music Mastering (1)

MRI 346

Record Distribution

MRI 348

The Independent Record Label: A-Z

MRI 349

Independent Label Operations

MRI 370

Seminar in the Music/Recording Industry [Topics vary and are offered
on a rotating basis.] (1-3)